Blog 2008

I won!
Thanks to
your votes, many of which probably came from
outside my home state and thus were blatant moral, if not
technical, violations of the competition’s integrity,
Company
rode to joint victory as the State Library of Victoria’s “Most
Popular Book.”

Now, some might view this as a shameful exercise
in depriving a more deserving author of their rightful
prize. Possibly this group includes the State Library,
since they declared me “Joint Winner,” implying quite the statistical event. But no, no, I have to
take their word for it that there really was a genuine tie.
This makes me pretty glad
I voted for myself. And means that my wife—who the
morning of the award ceremony said, “I was supposed to
vote?”—is in big trouble.

I didn’t mention this in my acceptance speech. What I did say,
and would like to repeat here for those who (ahem) couldn’t make it
to the ceremony, is that it’s continually amazing to me that people read
something I wrote and care enough about it or me to send me an email,
or mention it on their blog, or vote in a competition like this. I
get so much personal joy out of writing, but to feel that response
from people as well is truly touching, and makes what I do a
privilege.

While I’m talking home town news, I’m stepping out for the launch
of the new Australian Syrup edition, Wednesday 12th March,
6:30pm in the Sun Theatre foyer, 10 Ballarat St, Yarraville. They
say “bookings are essential” (03 9689 0661), but I don’t
know about that. I mean, it’s a foyer. And it’s me.

By the way, I just moved house, and I’m writing this blog on dial-up.
Dial-up! It’s like being blind.